Fluid pressure clutch



June 20 1939 E. P. GosLJNG Er Al.' 2,153,033

FLUID PRESSURE CLUTCH Filed July 19, 1937 -2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2@ 1-*4 f l 5' June`20, 1939. E. P. GosLlNG Er A1.

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f l 0 40 58 'y /g 448 /Z 52 38 /lVI/EA/ros 8 auf( 36 47 40 gf Maw y 1:( rms/P Hr rom/Eris Patented June 20, 1939 erica ramp PRESSURE CLUTCH Edward P. Gosling and Ferdinand J. Bittermann, St. Louis, Mo.

Application July 19, 1937, Serial No. 154,362

2 Claims;

Fig. 1 is a part vertical sectional view, partl elevation of a fiuid pressure clutch embodying our invention, i

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional'view of the uid pressure regulating portion of the clutch on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 in 2d Fig. l,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-6 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 in Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing the mounting of a retraction spring,

Fig. v'I is a sectional view on the line l-l in Fig. 6; and Y Fig. 8 is a s'ide elevation showing the construction of one of the slidable hub members of the clutch and the clutch plates secured thereto.

In thedrawings is illustrated a clutch embodying our invention, an automobile clutch being indicated, the drawings showing the usual engine crank shaft i (the engine not being shown) and transmission shaft 2 alined therewith and projccting into a transmission case 3 (only a portion of said transmission case and none of the transmission mechanism being illustrated in the drawiu ings). Secured, as by cap screws t, to the end 5 of the crank shaft I, which is shown as being flanged or upset for the purpose, is a ily wheel E on whose periphery may be formed the starter ring gear l. Said fly wheel has a projecting cylindrical a5 portion B, to the outer end of which is secured a cover 9, as by cap screws i0. The fly Wheel with its cylindrical extension and said cover constitute the housing for the clutch. The radially disposed inner faces II of the y Wheel and of the cover 5G' serve as clutch faces.

The clutch housing cover has a central opening I2 through which the transmission' shaft 2 extends, a suitable oil-tight packing ring I3 for the transmission shaft being mounted in said opening.

65 The end of the transmission shaft 2 is mounted in a pilot bearing Id provided at the center of the fly wheel 5. AExtending from the transmission case to the clutch housing and secured to the transmission case by screws I5, is a pressure bearing I 6 constituting a hollow support for the trans- 5 mission shaft. Said bearing i6 isrcomposed of sections having'longitudinal flanges Il secured together by screws I8.' The bearing has a liner i3 of suitable bearing material. Said shaft 2 is provided with a plurality ofcircumferential ribs 2i! and said bearing liner I9 has internal annular grooves 2| receiving the ribs 2B of said shaft.

Centrally of the housing, said Y transmission shaft 2 is provided with an integral radially disposed plate 22, hereinafter designated as the l thrust plate. .As is described hereinafter, the fluid under pressure is distributed through passageways in the thrust plate.

On either side of the thrust plate 22, the transmission shaft 2 has Asplines 23 and hub members 20 24 are slidably mounted thereon by internal splines 25. Each hub member 24 has a radial ange 26 at the end tov which is secured, as by rivets 21, an annular disk or plate 28, hereinafter designated as a clutch plate. To each clutch 25 plate is secured, as byrivets 29,. an annular clutch facing 30 of any suitable friction material. Secured to each face of the thrust plate 22 is an annular bellows or expanding diaphragm member indicated generally by 3I comprising an outer 30 annular corrugated wall member 32 having end flangesf33 extending radially outwardly andan inner annular corrugated wall member 34 having end flanges 35 extending radially inwardly. In-

- terposed between the bellows members 3l and the 35 respective clutch plates V28 are annular plates `36, hereinafter designated as pressure plates. vThe bellows anges 33, 35 at one end of each bellows 3 I are disposed flatwise against the thrustI plate 22 and are held in position'by means of sealing rings 40' 3l extending therearound and screws 38 extending through said sealing rings into the thrust plate 22. The other end flanges 33, 35 of the bellows engage the respective pressure plates 3G and are securedv thereto by similar sealing 'rings 31 and 45 screws 38.

Openings 39 are provided 'in saidthrust plate 22 radially inwardly of the bellows members v3I and through said holes 39 extend springs 40 whose .ends are secured to the hub members 24. As 50 shown in Figs. 6 and '7, the hub members 24 have holes 4I in which are seated cups 42 having grooves 43 in their bottoms and slots 44 extending transversely of said grooves 43. The loop 45 at the ends of said springs iextend through said 55 slots 44 and are held by pins 48 extending through said loops 45 and seated in said grooves 43. The action of said springs 40 is to pull the hub members 24 toward each other, retracting the clutch plates 28 and their facings 30 from the clutch faces l I of the fly wheel and cover 9, thereby disengaging the clutch. If sumcient uid pressure is supplied to said bellows members Il to overcome said springs 40, the pressure plates 35 acting against the clutch plates 2l force their iacings 3i into engagement with the fly wheel 5 and cover 9, respectively, the hub members 24 slidingalong the transmission shaft 2 to permit the clutch engagement.

A suitable fluid pressure system is shown in the drawings, the pump o'r other source of the iiuid liner- I9 supplies huid to an annular groove 5| formed in saidA bearing liner i9 between two of said ribs 20 on the transmission shaft 2 and communicating with radial passageways 52 in said transmission shaft which open into said axial passageway 4I. Fluid under pressure may be supplied to the system of passageways leading to the bellows Ii by any suitable means, the means illustrated providing for a selective manual or `fully automatic operation of the clutch.

Cil

means, not shown in the drawings.

y Secured, as by cap screws 53, to an abutment 54 projecting from the transmission shaft support i5 is a ii`uid pressure control housing 55.. A passageway 58 extending longitudinally through said housing communicates with the passageway 50 leading to the transmission shaft 2 and may be supplied with uid under pressure by any suitable Extending transversely through said housing'55 and opening through .fluid pressure passageway 50 is an enlarged'bore 51 which communicates with an alined smaller bore 5I which, in turn, communicates with a iiuid pressure exhaust passageway 59. A valve rod 80 extending through said enlarged bore 51. has a valve 6| cooperating with a valve seat 62 at the end of said exhaust bore 58 to permit opening and closing said exhaust passageway. Said valve rod 8| is smaller than said transverse bore 51 and extends into a still larger aligning bore or chamber 63. Said valve rod 50 has an enlarged head 64 at the end remote from said valve 6I and in said chamber 52. vThe end portion of said bore 51 opening into said chamber 63 is of reduced size, forming.l a ring 55 that guides said valve rod 60. The enlargedlhead 84 of said rod 60 is guided in said chamber 63. Openings 55 allow the fluid under pressure 1to enter said chamber 63. Mounted on. the-valve rod between said headn and the housing is a spring 61 which urges the valve rod 60 in a direction to unseat the valve 5I, thereby opening the exhaust passageway 58. Said enlarged head 64 is seated against the closed end 68 of a bel lows member B9 whose outer end is open and communicates with a passageway 10 that. connects with the engineroil line. Said passageway is formed in a cap 1I that covers the end 0f the chamber sa m wmeh the benows is mounted and is secured in place by means of screws 12.

Leading from the cross bore 51 surrounding the valve rod 60 is a pressure relief passageway 1l 4which opens into an enlarged passageway 14 in which is mounted a ball check valve that is normally held in seated position by means of a disk 15 that closes said passageway 14 and is held against the valve ball 15 by means of a spring 11. An adjusting screw 1l is providedfor adjusting the spring 11vand hence changing the pressure at which the ball valve 15'will be actuated. Communicating, with said passageway 14 is another passageway 19 that opens into the exhaust passageway 59. Thus when the pressure in said bore 51 reaches a predetermined point, the ball valve 15 will be moved away from its seat and part of the iiuid will be by-passed into the exhaust passageway 59, thus relieving the pressure in the system.

' Mounted in the transverse exhaust bore'll is a push rod 80 that is held in position by means of a packing 'nut Il and which has an actuating button l2 on-its` projecting end, a spring 82 encircling the push rod and urging the button I2 in a direction to hold the push rod Il clear of the valve rod 80. The push rod l0 may be actuated to unseat the valve 0i and permit the clutch vfluid to exhaust, thereby releasing the clutch,

engine is running, oil under pressure will actuate the `bellows t! and thus move the valve rod I0 to cause the valve 5| to seat and close the exhaust passageway 5l. Thus the clutch actuating fluid will be' admitted to the system of passageways leading to the clutch actuating bellows Il and the clutch will be engaged, remaining engaged until such time as the engine oil pressure drops, permitting unseating of the valve 5I and relief of the iiuid pressure. If excess pressure builds up in the clutch system, such excess pressure will be relieved'through the ball check valve 15, but the clutch will remain in engagement. If at any time it is desired to release the clutch,

'regardless of the speed at which the engine is and fulll and equal engagement and pressure are maintained between the engaging portions. .The usual levers, toggles and pivot pins are eliminated, the number of parts is reduced to a minimum and the iiuid is keptfully enclosed and l danger of leakage minimized. The clutch.may

be utilized toincrease its pressure and thus ob tain an increase in torque. `The thrust Vcollar and thrust bearing normally required are'dispensed with. When used in an automobile, coasting or free wheeling is obtained, theclutch opening o'r l disengaging automatically when the engine is decelerated and engaging automatically when Y the engine is accelerated.

The clutch is fully enclosed, eliminating dust and other foreign matter.

The clutch is positively and quickly released, thereby eliminating clutch drag. Clutch chatter is eliminated and smooth operation of the clutch at low speed is assured by the reduced clutch pressure at low speed. Other important advantages are inherent in the structure. The clutch has been described as embodied in an automobile, but obviously it is adapted for general use.

Obviously numerous changes may be made without departing from the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown. l

What'we claim is:

1. A fluid pressure clutch comprisingl a housing secured to the end of a rotating; shaft, said housing having internal radially disposed clutch faces, a transmission shaft extending into said housing in alinement with said first named shaft, said transmission shaft having a radially disposed thrust plate fixed thereon and having splines on both sides of said thrust plate, internally splined hubs mounted on the splined portions of said transmission shaft, radially disposed `annular clutch plates fixed on said hubs, annular pressure plates adjacent to the faces of said clutch plates remote from said clutch faces of said housing, annular bellows members, each secured to a face of said thrust plate and to one of said pressure plates, and springs secured to said hub members and extending through holes provided therefor in said thrust plate for urging said hubs towards each other and collapsing said bellows, said transmission shaft and thrust plate having passageways permitting flow of fluid into said bellows to expand them and engage the clutch.

2. A fluid pressure clutch comprising a rotating engine shaft having an upset end, a ily wheel secured to said upset ,end of said shaft, said y wheel having a cylindrical extension, a cover for the end of said extension opposite said fly wheel, said y wheel, extension and cover constituting a housing having internal radially disposed clutch faces, a transmission shaft extending into said housing in alinement with said engine shaft, a pilot bearing for said transmission shaft in said ily wheel, said transmission shaft having a radially disposed thrust plate xed thereon and having splines on both sides of said thrust plate, internally splined hubs mounted on the splined portions of said transmission shaft, radially disposed annular clutch plates xed on said hubs, annular pressure plates adjacent to the faces of said clutch plates remote from said clutch faces of said housing, annular bellows members, each secured to a face of said thrust plate and to one of said pressure plates, and springs secured to said hub members and extending through holes provided therefor in said thrust plate for urging said hubs towards each other and collapsing said bellows, said transmission shaft and thrust plate having passageways permitting flow of iuid into said bellows to expand them and engage the clutch.

EDWARD P, GOSLING. n. FERDINAND J. BI'ITERMANN. 

